2018 Road Bike Editors’ Choice Winners

From gravel bikes to adventurous road bikes, the pursuit of versatility is taking bicycle technology to unprecedented places—places where clearance for wide tires matters as much as aerodynamics, and disc brakes are no longer the enemy of ultralight frame design.

To select this year’s Editors’ Choice road bikes, we surveyed the entire market. Based on our experience riding the most notable bikes and component groups, deep knowledge of current and previous frames and parts, and a rigorous comparison of key factors (such as overall value and competitive models), we narrowed the list to 123 race, endurance, gravel, and aero bikes. We pitted those bikes against each other to emerge with 43 finalists. Then we brought those bikes to a staff-wide, weeklong test camp in our Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania, home that let us directly and intensively compare and contrast the rides to ferret out hidden strengths and weaknesses, and better understand traits that had been apparent from the start.

We selected the true superstars based on performance and value relative to similar bikes, outstanding tech, and that intangible holistic “wow” that just makes some bikes special. We recommend these bikes without reservation. As one tester said while summarizing the Editors’ Choice–winning Specialized S-Works Tarmac, “Rarely do we say that a bike can raise your riding level.” Here are 16 that will.

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Allied Alfa

Ryan Olszewski

This American-made masterpiece evokes the handling and feel of an old-school steel racer in a carbon frame with the weight, stiffness, and performance of a fully modern machine. The ride is crisp and energetic, but without the sometimes raw feel of pure race bikes. It’s stiff and damped, with a connected-but-insulated ride character that evokes a fine grand-touring car. In fit, feel, and function, this Arkansas-born bike finds a near-perfect balance between race and endurance.—Joe Lindsey$7,920, (as tested); 14.9 lb. (54cm)

We’ve long been fans of Giant’s TCR platform. The top-end versions are some of the very best racing bikes. But perhaps more remarkable is how good the TCRs are at more affordable prices. It starts with the frame, which Giant builds in its own Taiwan-based facilities: a sweet blend of stiffness and comfort, with sharp handling. For racing, fast group riding, or solo Strava sniping, this bike outshines its price class. The frame comes with a solid Shimano Ultegra/105 blend drivetrain with a wide-range cassette to get you home even when you’re blown. Giant’s Conduct hybrid cable-actuated, hydraulic braking system is admittedly weird looking, but the performance is top notch. Tubeless-ready rims and tires are a bonus.—Matt Phillips$2,425; 18.9 lb. (M/L)

From the cables hidden in the stem and carbon frame to the flash-red paint, this ProTour-worthy bike embodies the lust for speed. But it’s also comfortable. Testers praised its damped ride on rumbly pavement. Add sharp steering and an uncanny ability to translate watts into sprint-winning speed, and you get that one bike (there’s one every year) that our testers jockeyed for when the next session was going to be fast and brutal. Bonus: It comes stock with Vittoria Corsa open tubulars—one of our all-time favorite tires—and Shimano’s Dura-Ace Di2 group.—Mike Yozell$11,999; 15.4 lb. (54cm)

Cannondale gave this version of its Synapse endurance road bike more “go anywhere” mojo with 30mm-wide tubeless-ready tires, broader rims (21mm internal), and the low gearing you need (50/34 chainrings and an 11-34 cassette) to tackle steep climbs. It hits a sweet spot for capability and efficiency. One tester characterized it as “not a race bike and not an overbuilt adventure bike; an ideal bike for the enthusiast who does some fast-ish group rides and fondos but wants to explore dirt.” Another tester praised the comfort and smooth ride. With a carbon frame, flat-mount hydraulic disc brakes, and smooth-shifting Shimano Ultegra, this bike is also a standout value.—Gloria Liu$3,500; 17.8 lb. (51cm)

Our testers raved about the parts, price, and visual appeal. (As one comment from our notebooks put it: “This is the best looking Jamis I’ve seen.”) The American Classic tubeless-compatible rims with Clement X’plor MSO tires help craft a feel that’s lively, fun, and capable. (Never underestimate the importance of wheels and tires.) Shimano Ultegra R8000 components are among the world’s most reliable. But value is nothing without performance, and the ride is what lifted this bike to Editors’ Choice honors. It’s smooth, snappy, comfortable in the rough, and requires only a light touch to go where you want. Jamis was early to the gravel craze, and this new version of the Renegade builds on the strengths the company has developed.—M.Y.$3,899; 18.2 lb. (54cm)

Testers raved about the racy, eager attitude of this bike in situations from climbing to sprinting for town signs. But it’s friendlier than many in its class: The frame is stiff, with aero-inspired tube shapes, but the feel is compliant enough that hours in the saddle don’t vex your arms and back. And it ranks high for value. You get HED Ardennes aluminum wheels, Shimano Ultegra Di2, and hydraulic disc brakes, all shipped to your door for less than four grand.—Taylor Rojek$3,700; 17.4 lb. (50cm)

A lot of stuff is happening in the drop-bar bike world right now: aerodynamics, 1x drivetrains, disc brakes, wider tires. And while many race bikes are adapting to the changes piece by piece, the 3T Strada is one that’s built from the ground up to embrace the newest trends. Front derailleur: gone. Rim brakes: never considered. Wide tires: faster with them. Aerodynamics: all in. And despite all those changes, this bike doesn’t only meet our traditional expectations of a race bike—responsive, very stiff, quick steering, and light. It is faster, smoother, and better riding overall because of them. The 3T Strada is a bold new paradigm for the road racing bike. Decades from now, you’ll be telling people you were riding when this style of bike was born.—M.P.$8,000 (as tested); 16.5 lb. (L)

Where do you want to ride today? With the Diverge Expert, the possibilities are wide open. It’s a better road bike than some “pure” road options, but with the Future Shock Progressive front suspension, it makes off-road riding, even on singletrack, comfortable and enjoyable. And that’s just for one-day rides. Range farther afield with built-in SWAT storage, triple bottle mounts, and rack and fender eyelets for the most ambitious adventures. A great gravel bike is ready for more than just one kind of riding, and this is one of the best we’ve been on.—J.L.$4,000; 19.4 lb. (54cm)

The term “good value” sometimes can denote a lack of excitement—a triumph of reason over passion. But the carbon-fiber Defy Advanced 3 rides smooth, light, and fast, with a peppy responsiveness that lights up fast training rides and fondos. The parts kit is superb, with a cable-to-hydraulic disc-brake system that has enough power and control that we forgot it wasn’t full hydraulic. Confident handling on descents, tubeless rims and tires, and sweet paint round out a killer package that makes its great value feel like a nice add-on instead of the whole reason to buy it.—J.L.$1,685; 20.9 lb. (M)

If you could have only one bike, this might be it. One longtime tester said this ultralight version of OPEN’s gravel monster might be her all-time favorite drop-bar bike. It handles whatever you need for a day’s ride. On the road, the 16-pound U.P.P.E.R. has a fun, sporty feel even among race bikes. On trails, it rides like a superlight race hardtail. Gravel? Rutted-out ATV tracks? Legit singletrack? With triple bottle-cage mounts, a top-tube mount for a frame bag, and clearance for up to 27.5x2.1-inch knobbies, the U.P.P.E.R. is ready for the most adventurous rides.—J.L.$5,900 (as tested); 16.0 lb. (S)

Specialized Allez Elite

Courtesy of Specialized

It’s not just the paint, we swear! (But we loved that, too.) We were blown away by the level of performance per dollar—the ride is so good we thought the low price had to be an error. Handling choppy pavement and even light dirt roads with ease, this race bike destroys that old, lingering misconception that aluminum frames can’t be comfortable. And Specialized wrung out every cent of value in the component mix, pairing a sure-shifting Shimano 105 drivetrain to Praxis crankarms and Tektro dual-pivot brakes to DT Swiss wheels. Full fender and rear-rack eyelets add versatility to this born performer.—J.L.$1,200; 19.6 lb. (54cm)

This genre-bending all-rounder is a gravel-worthy bike with two chainrings (which many pure gravel machines forgo) to ensure enough gears to let almost any rider feel equipped for high-speed endeavors and low-speed grunts. We also loved the fact that you can load it with a full complement of bikepacking bags. With fat, fast-rolling WTB Horizon tires, this is a bike that truly is at home on all terrain. Plus, it’s got serious style.—M.Y.$2,099; 22.3 lb. (54cm)

The best race bikes are extra: extra responsive under power, extra able to open or shut down gaps, extra intuitive in how they respond. Canyon achieved this extraordinary state—at an extraordinary price—by attending to aerodynamics, handling, and even the details of cable routing and a refined seatpost binder. These are bikes that help the rider find little gifts of speed that, in the moment, are the difference between making a selection or watching it go up the road.—J.L.Men’s $6,499; 16.2 lb. (S)Women’s $3,000 16.1 lb. (XS)

Just when we start to think the 13-year-old Tarmac platform can’t improve, Specialized makes it better. The newest version is simply one of the best and most pure expressions of a complete road-race bike we’ve ever ridden. Men and women testers raved about the sure but quick handling, the new aerodynamic design, and the light weight. The words most often used in test notes were “speed” and “fast.” Rarely do we say that a bike can raise your riding level, but this is one such machine. It wants to go fast; you’ll want to go fast on it. And you will.—J.L.Men’s $9,500; 13.8 lb. (54cm)Women’s $9,500; 13.8 lb. (52cm)

This women’s climbing and racing bike is one on which new racers can confidently roll up to the start line. The Advanced Disc has a slightly heftier carbon frame than the higher-end Advanced SL 0, and its Giant Conduct hydraulic disc brakes add weight, but neither detract significantly from the snappy ride. The bike is quick to accelerate, and the mixed Shimano Ultegra/105 drivetrain allowed testers to spin uphill at comfortable cadences. But it won our highest honor mostly because of how it performs under pressure. The bike didn’t hold us back from aggressive riding and hot cornering, and it responded surely and quickly to the tiny directional hip twitches that make all the difference when rides are at their most intense.—Riley Missel$2,425; 18.5 lb. (XS)

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